Packaging material of gas-bag type, process for packaging article, and process for producing packaging material

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for packaging an article using a packaging material of gas-bag type for packaging easily deformable parts or devices of office equipment or OA equipment having various sizes and shapes such as containers containing toner, containers containing developing agent, photoconductors, process cartridges, and complex units of a developer and a toner collector. The packaging material of gas-bag type comprises tube-like bodies and connecting portions, wherein the tube-like bodies are able to swell by being injected inner gas, the connecting portions connect the tube-like bodies in parallel, the tube-like bodies are bendable so as to wrap an article to be packaged, and the packaging material is formed from substantially flat two sheets of one front sheet and one back sheet in a condition that the inner gas is substantially evacuated from the tube-like bodies.

1 . A process for packaging an article, by means of a packaging material of gas-bag type comprising tube-like bodies and connecting portions, comprising:
 disposing an article to be packaged on the packaging material,   bending the tube-like bodies toward the article to be packaged, and   connecting at least one of the connecting portions and tube-like bodies,   wherein the tube-like bodies are able to swell by being injected inner gas, the connecting portions connect the tube-like bodies in parallel, the tube-like bodies are bendable so as to wrap an article to be packaged, and the packaging material is formed from substantially flat two sheets of one front sheet and one back sheet in a condition that the inner gas is substantially evacuated from the tube-like bodies.   
   
   
       2 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging material is bendable to at least one of front side and back side of the packaging material in substantially perpendicular directions to the axis of the tube-like bodies. 
   
   
       3 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging material comprises adhered areas, non-adhered areas, and a gas entrance, the non-adhered areas comprise non-adhesion between the front sheet and the back sheet and yield the portions of the tube-like bodies and gas passages communicating the tube-like bodies, and the adhered areas comprise adhesion between the front sheet and the back sheet and yield the portions of the connecting portions and sealing portions at margin of the packaging material. 
   
   
       4 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the gas passages is provided at a part of each connecting portion, and at least a part of connecting portions comprises at least one connectable portion. 
   
   
       5 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein each tube-like body comprises nodes at which portion the tube-like body swells larger compared to the other portion of the tube-like body. 
   
   
       6 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein one sheet among the front sheet and the back sheet is a transparent resin sheet, and the other sheet among the front sheet and the back sheet comprises a concave-convex surface. 
   
   
       7 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 6 , wherein the sheet comprising a concave-convex surface comprises a laminated construction of a resin film sheet and a divided-assigned sheet. 
   
   
       8 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 7 , wherein the resin film sheet is formed from three layers of polyethylene film, polyamide film, and polyethylene film. 
   
   
       9 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 6 , wherein both of the transparent resin sheet and the sheet comprising a concave-convex surface have an oxygen-gas permeability of 3 cc/m 2 /24 hours or less. 
   
   
       10 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of connecting portions comprises at least one tearable perforated line in parallel to the axial of tube-like bodies, each axis of the tube-like bodies is bendable to at least one of front side and back side of the packaging material, and at least one end portion of the tube-like bodies comprises a connectable portion. 
   
   
       11 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of connecting portions comprises at least one cut line in parallel to the axial of tube-like bodies, each axis of the tube-like bodies is bendable to at least one of front side and back side of the packaging material, and at least one end portion of the tube-like bodies comprises a connectable portion. 
   
   
       12 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 4 , wherein the tube-like bodies are possible to attach and detach each other repeatedly at the connectable portion. 
   
   
       13 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of tube-like bodies comprises at least one additional adhered area at the end portion of the tube-like bodies. 
   
   
       14 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one additional adhered area at the end portion of the tube-like bodies comprises at least one tearable perforated line. 
   
   
       15 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas entrance is provided to one of tube-like bodies at the end portion. 
   
   
       16 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein an elongated gripping portion is provided to the packaging material substantially in parallel to the axis of the tube-like bodies. 
   
   
       17 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction between the sheet comprising a concave-convex surface and the packaged article is larger than the friction between the transparent resin sheet and the packaged article. 
   
   
       18 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the inner gas injected into the tube-like bodies is 6 hPa to 9 hPa. 
   
   
       19 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner gas is nitrogen gas. 
   
   
       20 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the connecting portions that connect the tube-like bodies in parallel is 0.5 cm to 3 cm. 
   
   
       21 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the tube-like bodies is 2 cm to 10 cm. 
   
   
       22 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of the tube-like bodies is 2 or more. 
   
   
       23 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the article to be packaged is at least one of parts and devices utilized in office equipment and OA equipment. 
   
   
       24 . The process for packaging an article according to  claim 1 , wherein the article to be packaged is selected from the group consisting of containers comprising toner, containers comprising developing agent, photoconductors, process cartridges, and complex units of a developer and a toner collector.